| "All for one and one for all!" makes a great family | | | | evacuation in 2008, and I don't want my family using |
| motto when it comes to an emergency evacuation. | | | | the side of the road as a toilet. Enough said.o Load |
| When everyone has designated jobs and knows | | | | additional food and water, as much as there is room |
| exactly what to do, your family can be packed and | | | | for. Your 72 Hour Kits will contain emergency |
| out of town before most other families grab their | | | | provisions, but extra food will always come in handy. |
| toothbrushes. To make this happen and avoid panic, | | | | Collapsible water containers are a good option since |
| chaos, and needless tears, your family needs an | | | | they gradually take up less space as they're emptied. |
| evacuation plan. | | | | Water weighso Bedding items, such as sleeping bags, |
| When I first started thinking about the possibility of | | | | blankets, and pillows. How much you can take with |
| evacuating from our home, I visualized sheer panic. | | | | you will depend on how much room you have left in |
| Immediately, I realized the need for a written list of | | | | your vehicle. I always keep a couple of lightweight |
| procedures posted in two or three locations and a | | | | blankets rolled up under the back seat, just in case. |
| family meeting or two to insure that everyone was | | | | 3. Prepare the House |
| informed and on board. As I put our evacuation plan | | | | As you drive away from your home, no doubt you'll |
| together, five basic steps became apparent. | | | | have feelings of sadness and, perhaps, loss. Write |
| 1. Make provisions for animals. | | | | out a plan to protect your home if you must |
| 2. Pack personal necessities, food, and water. | | | | evacuate, and you'll increase the chances of having a |
| 3. Prepare the house. | | | | home to come home to. Here is a checklist I've |
| 4. Pack important documents and a computer. | | | | used.o Turn off gas and water.o Go out to electrical |
| 5. Insure the vehicle is ready to go. | | | | panel and switch off everything except for the |
| Follow these five simple steps to create your own | | | | breakers marked for the kitchen.o Unplug everything |
| evacuation plan, and then delegate and rehearse. | | | | in the house except refrigerator, freezer and a |
| 1. Make provisions for animals | | | | kitchen lamp. Even if our entire neighborhood is |
| I put this at the top of my plan because of the | | | | evacuated, I would just rather my home look |
| words in Proverbs 12:10a, "The godly care for their | | | | occupied.o Shut down and unplug the computers.o |
| animals," and because I'm crazy about our four dogs | | | | Close and lock all windows. Close blinds and curtains.o |
| and our lone cat, Daisy. There were so many | | | | Depending on the current weather, turn off air |
| unnecessary tragedies that involved beloved pets in | | | | conditioner and/or heat or set them at minimal levels. |
| the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and after | | | | 4. Pack important documents and a computero Load |
| watching that unfold, I determined that I would | | | | our strong box. (This contains originals of things like |
| never leave ours behind. | | | | Social Security cards and birth certificates.)o Pack my |
| Once you've made the decision to evacuate , one of | | | | Grab-and-Go Binder containing copies of vital financial |
| the first steps should be to contain them. You don't | | | | and family documents and my Survival Mom Binder |
| need them underfoot as you rush around, and your | | | | with printed information helpful in emergencies, such |
| kids will be reassured that their beloved pets are | | | | as maps and water purification instructions.o Use a |
| being cared for. Delegate this task to one or two | | | | flash drive to save important business and financial |
| family members. | | | | information from our desktop computer. Pack flash |
| Depending on the size of your dogs and cats, you | | | | drive with laptop.o Pack our laptop computer. Make |
| may want to first load their crate in your vehicle and | | | | sure to include the charger! |
| then the animal(s). So, first on my list is to load the | | | | 5. Insure the vehicle is ready to go |
| dog crate in the Tahoe, and put each dog inside. We | | | | Hopefully, you've been keeping an eye on weather |
| have four small dogs so they all fit, in a cozy sort of | | | | and news reports and have made sure your vehicle's |
| way! | | | | gas tank is full. In addition to that simple, obvious |
| Pre-position collars, leashes, and a water and food | | | | step, here are a few more.o Load extra gas cans, if |
| bowls in the crate, along with some dog food, | | | | you have them.o Pack tools we might need. A claw |
| double-bagged in two large Zip-Locs. (Ants love dog | | | | hammer or a Phillips screw driver might make all the |
| food!) Add the dog, and you're good to go! | | | | difference in the world in a survival scenario.o Be sure |
| Our next step is to put the cat in her crate, and | | | | you have everything necessary for dealing with a flat |
| keep her away from the dogs!! If your cat isn't used | | | | tire, including a spare. |
| to being in a carrier, now is the time for | | | | Depending on how much time we have and how |
| Crate-the-Cat practice! Along with her crate, pack a | | | | much room is left in the Tahoe, we'll also pack extra |
| small package of kitty litter and her food. | | | | clothing. There's a change of clothes or two in our 72 |
| If you're the proud owner of fish, reptiles, rodents | | | | Hour Kits, but if we are gone for days or weeks, |
| and/or farm animals, consider whether or not you'll | | | | we'll need more. We can pack these in large plastic |
| take them along, leave them on their own with a | | | | trash bags. Ugly, but they're not as bulky as |
| plentiful supply of food and water, or transport them | | | | suitcases. Hey, they could double as raincoats in an |
| to another location. Have a Plan B for their care in | | | | emergency! |
| case circumstances suddenly change. | | | | When our plan was finished, I discussed each step |
| 2. Personal necessities, food and water | | | | with my husband, and we delegated each task to a |
| While the designated family member is rounding up | | | | different family member. In a crisis situation, assigned |
| the animals, delegate who will be responsible for the | | | | tasks will help defuse feelings of panic and confusion. |
| following.o Loading 72 Hour Kits, if you have them. | | | | It's more difficult to become hysterical when you |
| Take some time now to put these kits together | | | | have something to focus on. Not impossible! Just |
| while you have time and are not under any duress. I | | | | more difficult! |
| carry a Vehicle 72 Hour Kit in my Tahoe at all times | | | | I'm very aware that an emergency evacuation may |
| in case of emergencies while we're on the road. If | | | | happen while my husband is not at home, so I've |
| we only had time to grab our Kits, at least we'd have | | | | made sure that I know how to turn off the gas, |
| the most necessary items for survival to get us | | | | water and electricity in case it's just the kids and me. |
| through the first three or four days.o Load firearms | | | | There's one step missing. Will this really work? How |
| and ammunition. Guns are one of the first things | | | | much time will it take, and will there be any room for |
| vandals look for, and I don't want them getting into | | | | passengers in the Tahoe once it's loaded?? Obviously, |
| the wrong hands. In a worst case scenario, we may | | | | we need an evacuation drill. Sounds like a great |
| need them for defense.o Cash. I usually keep this in | | | | summertime family activity to me! |
| twenty dollar bills or smaller. In case of a widespread | | | | "Hey kids! Let's pretend there's a mountain of red hot |
| electrical outage, ATMs and credit/debit card | | | | lava rushing toward us, and we have to be out of |
| machines may not be working. I want to be sure we | | | | the house in thirty minutes. Everybody know their |
| can pay for hotels, gas and food.o An emergency | | | | jobs? Okay! Ready.....GO!!!" |
| toilet: a five-gallon bucket with plastic liners. This | | | | If you live in an area prone to hurricanes, wildfires, |
| bucket also holds a couple of small blankets, toilet | | | | and the like, you already know a thing or two about |
| paper and a bottle of bleach/water mixture. You can | | | | bugging out in a hurry. Share your experiences and |
| even buy a toilet seat designed to fit one of these | | | | tips on this blog. |
| buckets. I've read accounts of the Hurricane Ike | | | | |